TORONTO – A decision to phase out the late Gilda Radner at the cancer support centres that bear her name has sparked a firestorm of protest on social media.
Toronto resident Josh Bowman has posted a petition at change.org to protest a move to change the name of Gilda’s Clubs to Cancer Support Community.
“This is a travesty, and an insult to Gilda’s memory, life and work,” Bowman wrote.
Jennifer Matotek of Toronto commented at change.org that Radner was one of the first celebrities to put a face to ovarian cancer.
“Rather than being silenced by societal norms, her refusal to be private about her diagnosis was an admirably feminist act and this cannot be forgotten and should not be ignored,” she wrote.
“Detaching her legacy from the organization she was named after is an insult to her bravery, and sweeps her many accomplishments as a performer, as a woman, and her generosity of spirit under the rug. Which is offensive to me.”
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People are also weighing in on Twitter. Actress Martha Plimpton reacted by tweeting: “This is the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard.”
Three years after Gilda’s Club Worldwide merged with the Wellness Community to become the Cancer Support Community, Gilda’s Clubs are under pressure to rebrand.
Gilda’s Club Madison in Wisconsin recently announced it is changing its name in January. Cancer Support Community is worried young people not familiar with Radner – who died in 1989 of ovarian cancer – may not be drawn to the organization.
Gilda’s Club Madison executive director Lannia Syren Stenz told the Wisconsin State Journal: “We want to make sure that what we are is clear to them and that there’s not a lot of confusion that would cause people not to come in our doors.”
Fran Walsh, executive director of Gilda’s Club Greater Toronto, said she’s fielding calls from concerned members.
“We’re not changing the name,” Walsh told Global News. “I can’t see any reason that we would.”
Gilda’s Club Greater Toronto, located on Cecil Street near College Street and Spadina Avenue, staged its annual It’s Always Something variety show on November 17. The event takes its name from a catchphrase of one of Radner’s Saturday Night Live characters and was also the name of a book she wrote about her battle with cancer.
Radner made her professional acting debut in the Toronto production of Godspell in 1972 and later joined the city’s Second City comedy troupe.
Walsh said YouTube has revitalized Radner’s comedy and exposed her to a new generation.
“Gilda was in Toronto. Our biggest fundraiser is done in her memory,” said Walsh. “We don’t have any desire to change the name.”
A spokesperson for Gilda’s Club Simcoe Muskoka in Barrie said she is not aware of any plan to change the name.
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